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By ROBERT SMITH
JOURNALISTS face a total news blackout for up to 24 hours, with
the launch of any attack on Iraq.
The aim is to stop the Iraqi regime being alerted to the first
wave of attacks before they happen, by international news
agencies, particularly television.
It means the public may only learn the war has started when the
blackout has been lifted.
This may last from anywhere from two to 24 hours, depending on
the situation at the time.
Print, television and radio journalists, who are referred to as
embeds, are already being periodically restricted from contacting
their newsrooms while onboard ships.
This is to ensure that newsrooms will not be alerted to the
start of war when they can't contact their reporter.
"If you are on the ship at sea, preparations for a
significant military action become relatively apparent to any good
reporter out there on an aircraft carrier," US Navy chief of
information Rear Admiral Stephen Pietropaoli recently told bureau
chiefs in a meeting at the Pentagon.
"The pace picks up, the adrenaline starts to flow, more
ordinance on deck.
"What happens is the commanders invariably shut down the
reporting window in order to maintain some level of tactical
surprise."
Dozens of journalists have been flown out from Bahrain to a
variety of ships in the Gulf. They will cover any potential
conflict from a variety of vessels, including aircraft carriers,
destroyers, amphibious ships and even a hospital ship.
Between them these ships would be able to launch an offensive
from the sea - including air strikes and missile attacks. However,
they will all be subject to the news blackout if and when war
eventually starts.
"We are going to just roll the dice and you will be able
to hear from your reporter and then you won't for two hours, 24
hours or 12 hours - whatever it is," Rear Admiral Pietropaoli
told the Press.
"That way you won't read anything in particular into not
being able to contact your woman or man for eight hours.
"It is clearly an artifice and we are not crazy about it,
but quite frankly the alternative is to send them out there at
some point and just shut down reporting until some military action
kicks off."
Once the blackout is lifted all reporters will file stories at
the same time, regardless of which ship they are on.
The blackouts are also routine defensive measures for warships
which do not want to give away their position, said Lieutenant
Commander Dave Werner.
"It is routine on a navy ship to enforce emission
control," said Lt Cmdr Werner, of the coalition Press
information centre in Bahrain.
"It is part of the defensive posture the ship assumes and
media emitting signals are asked to respect that posture."
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